Proton Docs and Proton Sheets: the “privacy-first” office suite inside Proton Drive

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Proton, the Swiss company known for its privacy services (including Proton Mail and Proton VPN), has transformed Proton Drive into a true integrated productivity suite: in addition to Proton Docs for text documents, Proton Sheets is now available, the encrypted spreadsheet that completes the offering.

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What are Proton Docs and Proton Sheets — and how do they work?

Proton Docs

Proton Docs was announced in summer 2024 and is a text editor (word processor) integrated into Proton Drive, with support for formatted text, images, tables, checklists, and import/export of standard formats (e.g., .docx).

It supports real-time collaboration: comments, collaborative cursors, secure sharing, and more. other. 

Source https://proton.me/drive/docs

Proton Sheets

Proton Sheets is an online spreadsheet, launched in December 2025, with end-to-end encryption — not only content and formulas, but also metadata (e.g. file names) remain encrypted. 

Supports common formulas (e.g. SUM(), IF()), import/export of CSV or XLS files, formatting, sorting, multiple sheets, charts, filters, data validation, conditional formatting. 

Allows real-time collaboration like traditional editors: sharing via link or email, permission control (view/edit), revoke access, editing simultaneous.

Source https://proton.me/drive/sheets

Proton Docs + Sheets

In short: these aren't "budget" versions. Proton aims to provide an experience nearly comparable to tools like Google Docs / Sheets or Microsoft Office, but with a radical approach to privacy.

What's included and how are the services connected

Proton Docs and Proton Sheets are integrated directly into Proton Drive, Proton's end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service. This means that documents, sheets, and metadata are encrypted before leaving your device, and remain readable only by you and the collaborators you grant access to.

Source https://proton.me/drive

Why end-to-end encryption makes a difference

The distinguishing feature is end-to-end encryption: no readable data is sent to the servers, and not even Proton can see the contents of your files. This includes the files themselves and—in many cases—also important metadata like file names.

For those who handle sensitive data—business, legal, medical, financial—or simply want to keep their privacy safe, Proton represents a credible alternative to "big tech" platforms.


Getting Started: Accounts, Plans, and Downloads

To try the suite, all you need is a Proton account 😄

By creating a Proton account (free), you also get access to Proton Drive, which offers a free basic plan with 5 GB of storage (see the pricing page for details and upgrades - Proton Drive — Pricing).

Paid versions of Proton Drive offer more space—useful if you plan to store documents, photos or work files.

Docs and Sheets are accessible via web browser or with the Proton Drive app (desktop or mobile).


How to work with Proton

  1. Account creation: Register at proton.me and activate Proton Drive through the account panel. The free plan lets you get started right away.
  2. Web or app access: You can use the web interface (drive.proton.me) or the desktop/mobile apps downloadable from the official page.
  3. Create documents and sheets: In Proton Drive, click New → New document or New sheet. The files you create are encrypted and saved in your Drive.
  4. Sharing and collaboration: You can share via link or with specific email addresses, assigning viewing or editing permissions; real-time editing shows collaborators' cursors without exposing content to the provider.
  5. Offline / local mode: Proton Drive is designed as a cloud service; However, there are desktop apps that allow local file synchronization. To work completely offline on encrypted documents, you should check the synchronization features and limitations (some external tools cannot open encrypted files without keys).

Benefits and who is Proton designed for

Proton (Docs + Sheets + Drive) is designed for:
  • those who want maximum privacy and security for their personal or business documents and data;
  • those who want online collaboration without relying on large companies that could use data for AI, advertising, or mass data collection;
  • those looking for an alternative to commercial tools like Google Drive / Google Docs / Google Sheets or Microsoft OneDrive / Microsoft Excel / Microsoft Wordord, but with greater control over the data.
Furthermore, thanks to the interface quite similar to that of well-known tools, the learning curve is minimal: even those who are not experts can start using it immediately.


Some notes and limitations to consider

  • Being a recent release (Sheets is from December 2025), the diffusion is in “roll-out”: not all users immediately see the option to create a spreadsheet. 
  • Some users report that the mobile version, or the app for certain operating systems, may be less fluid than consolidated solutions, especially with many files or intensive use.
  • As with any “cloud-first” service, you depend on connectivity for real-time collaboration. Some may prefer an offline approach (for example, with software like LibreOffice), but this undermines the convenience of cloud collaboration.


Conclusion

The combination of encrypted cloud storage (Proton Drive) + text editor (Proton Docs) + spreadsheets (Proton Sheets) turns Proton into a true "privacy-first" productivity suite. For users and organizations that value data protection, it's a very strong proposition: just a free account + browser/app, and you can get started right away.

With growing attention to how data is collected and used (including to train AI models), tools like Proton's can represent a conscious choice: productivity and flexibility without sacrificing privacy and security.


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